Start of Redemption
by AwakeningEden
Summary: As Korra is driven out of Republic City, Tahno ponders on his purpose and why her polar bear-dog is racing towards him.


Original Question/Prompt: I totally want Tahno to just be depressingly taking a stroll when he stumbles into Naga who's still waiting for Korra where she left her, startled Tahno's like "what are you doing here?" then Naga drags him along as she tracks Korra. Insert some cunning heroics and we have an awesome intro for Tahno into team avatar :3

I was going to write a similar idea right now, but I like this a lot better!

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His hands were stuffed his pockets. His legs dragged across the snowy concrete. He didn't know why he walked this route every night. Why he would do this to himself. It should have been more unbearable than usual, with the snow falling onto his clothes and skin. Tahno never questioned what he did anymore, really.

He just didn't know what to do.

Downtown was dead. It was unusual, given it was a young Friday night. Not that it was surprising after all the chaos that had ensued over the past couple of days. Tahno had heard about the Council's new curfew and the arrest of any "suspicious" non-bending activity. Besides his nonchalance for laws in the first place, his official papers down at the police station had him listed under waterbender. While everyone in the spirit-forsaken world knew Amon had taken his bending away, he doubted the police would give him a hard time. Why the hell would be part of the Equalist cause when they had taken his very purpose to live?

He passed one of his regular haunts before the incident and heard the buzz of a radio announcing the daily news. They had discussed Korra yesterday: she had been capturing equalists left and right but it was in the opposition of the Council. She had apparently broken up an equalist rally and her teammates along with Asami Sato had been arrested.

Tahno tightened his fists and gritted his teeth. When he had heard about Korra and the others, he had wanted to be angry and upset. It took him awhile after his initial reaction to realize he wanted to help Korra.

Korra wasn't his friend though. Neither were her teammates or the heiress. To ask her to tag-a-along after his treatment of them would be selfish and demeaning. While Tahno had lost his way of life, while he was not the same person he was a few weeks before, a string of pride still wired through his body. He had been told from a young age he was a prodigy and that he had the talent, the looks, and the charisma to escape the swamps and live out his big city dreams. When that's the story of your life, it's hard to let go.

But still, he wanted to help and more than anything he wanted to make things right between him and Korra. The loss of his bending provided him powerful insight into the person he was. Tahno didn't want to be a selfish asshole anymore and he wanted to tell Korra. He didn't know why, but every time he thought of the Avatar and seeking her assistance, anxiety would seep into him and his throat would go tight.

All of it was so befuddling. And that's what he hated about his predicament the most.

His thoughts carried him towards the police station. He idly considered visiting the locked-up Fire Ferrets, maybe just asking how they were doing.

No, Tahno scoffed at himself, digging his hands deeper into his pockets. _That's just stupid._

As he was about to turn around and head towards his apartment, he heard large and heavy pounds shake the ground. He suspected it could just be an earthbender training nearby but the pounds closed in on him and felt a lot like labored sprinting.

_I swear, if it's an equalist_…What could they possibly want with him now? Put his head on some spike? Talk about savage….

He took a shaky breath and prepared for the worst.

The last thing he expected was Korra's polar bear dog racing towards _him_ at a rather alarming pace.

"Woah, hey! Slow down!" Tahno hollered at the animal. He had not forgotten the incident at Narook's. She still scared the crap out of him. "Stop or you're going to trample me!"

The polar bear dog apparently picked up on his distress and eased into her approach. She seemed frantic and Tahno wondered what she would want with him.

It also took him a second to realize that was _Korra's_ pet and Korra was nowhere in sight.

The polar bear dog stopped a foot in front of him and started to grunt. But it wasn't mean-spirited or aggressive. The grunts were urgent and…._beckoning?_

"What's wrong?" Tahno asked Korra's pet. "Did…did something happen to Korra?"

The polar bear dog yipped at his response, restlessly paddling her paws against the snow-covered ground. She threw her head back and continued to whine and grunt.

"Where is she? Can you take me to her?" Tahno asked, his legs jittery and his fists shaking in his pockets. What could have possibly happened to the Avatar? Was she captured by Equalists? Did she get arrested? Was she injured?

_Was her bending taken away?_

Just the thought sent his nerves on fire and his heart ablaze. If anyone harmed her…if she had to go through what he had…

The bear shook her head and barked at him. He could only assume that meant she didn't know where Korra was. She had probably ran all over the city looking for a familiar scent that knew Korra and would be somewhat willing to help.

_Probably not her best option_, Tahno contemplated for a moment. The only time he seen the polar bear dog were in rather hostile situations._ But I'm all she's got. _

The pet wanted to find her master.

Tahno wanted to help Korra.

Win-win in his book.

"Alright, let's see if we can track her down," Tahno whipped his hands out of his pockets and slowly pressed his hand against her forehead. "I…I'll trust you if you trust me."

Naga nodded and knelt. Tahno hesitated, unsure if this was the right thing to do. Shouldn't he contact her airbending teacher or see if the ex-Chief of Police could assist him?

"Well, girl…asking for help has never really been my style," he smiled for the first time since he had seen Korra at the police station and hopped onto to her pet's back. "And this Wolfbat would like to show the Avatar how a real knight in shining armor operates.

"Lead the way, sweetheart!" And as Tahno took the reigns and the polar bear dog raced into the night, Tahno couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

He always did get exactly what he wanted.


End file.
